Biography
Craig Zadan (1949–2018) was an American film and television producer. He attended Hofstra University and began his career as a writer, contributing to New York magazine and publishing the book Sondheim & Co. in 1974. He later formed a long-term producing partnership with Neil Meron through Storyline Entertainment.
Zadan produced the 1984 film Footloose and served as a producer on the 2007 film Hairspray. With Meron, he also executive produced the 2002 film Chicago and worked on numerous television musical adaptations, including Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (1997), Annie (1999) and several live NBC broadcasts such as The Sound of Music Live! (2013). The pair produced the Academy Awards telecasts from 2013 to 2015.
Zadan died in Los Angeles on 20 August 2018.
